TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Lost Forever (Official Remaster)]

I like the somewhat foreboding piano chords at the beginning. The beat is kinda the main feature of the texture for a while, but the synths are pretty cool. Despite the slow progression, you kept a strong sense of directionality throughout the first minute or so. Unfortunately, the intro (as I see it lasting until 1:26) doesn’t really lead anywhere. The piece has a nice shape and phrasing, but is quite minimalistic throughout. The arpeggiated content at 1:51 also doesn’t offer a satisfying substitute for melodic content, which this piece badly needs more of. I didn’t notice any particular problems with the mixing besides a lack of thickness. Even sections like 3:32 lack bass, before devolving into a section like 3:43 that doesn’t really blend well. Overall, I can tell you’re a talented producer, and the sound design was proficient. That said, the composition is seriously weak here. I think you should consolidate some of your ideas (the piece doesn’t need to be 6 minutes long) and focus on offering the listener some more harmonic depth. Also, I personally don’t mind the atonal sections too much, but that’s certainly something to watch out for in the future as well. Nice job with the atmosphere, instruments, and flow. Keep at it, DJTECKIE!

6.5/10

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
6.5/10

DJTECKIE responds:

Thanks a lot for the feedback! :D I revised the track and making the proper improvements. I appreciate the feedback it's just what I need to improve for my future tracks ^_^
-TECKIE-

[NicoNico - I Love You So Much!]

The melody at the beginning was cute. The sweep into :13 worked well, but most of the texture at the beginning is pretty thin and dry. I think the “hey”s need a bit more reverb, and maybe you should consider putting some chorus effects or something on some of these synths to thicken the texture. I’m really enjoying the blissful melodic content by around :40, although I think you quickly overuse the vocal samples. The bass at 1:17 sounds a bit atonal, but I appreciated the structural variety offered by this section. The section at 1:57 was a quite a sudden shift in mood and harmonic content, but I think it has an appropriate niche for variety in the context of the piece as a whole. Overall, you won me over with the blissful mood, plethora of melodic content, and overall clear mix. Nice work, DjFluxArmada!

8.75/10

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
8.75/10

[Artificial Imagination]

I like the creepy atmospheric elements of the beginning. The texture sounds pretty distorted and experimental for a while, and the transition at :33 comes on pretty suddenly. The beat at :45 is really cool. You have a great sense of rhythm and harmony, although I think the progression needs some work. The piece has a lot of abrupt entrances of instruments. I’d encourage you to consider doing more with phrasing, cross-fading, automation, and maybe even more generic things like sweeps/risers. The frantic energy of the piece is quite captivating, however, and the mastering quality is impressive. The texture is both thick throughout and cleanly mixed. Despite the rich texture, there doesn’t appear to be a lot of strong melodic content in the piece. That said, my main problem with the piece is still the transitions. I think it’s especially rueful that 3:12 (a rather exposed spot) is such a non-transition. Still, the other compositional elements are strong, and the production and sound design are top-notch here. Keep it up, DjCrystalux!

9.25/10

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9.25/10

CrystaluxX responds:

Thank you <3

[Rotten Star]

I like the retro-sounding pads at the beginning, even if they sounded a tad generic. The mix is VERY loud, and the guitars really take over the texture by :31. I guess I would’ve liked to see a little more room in the mix for the drums there. I was a little confused by the role of the panning at :51, especially since not much is going on besides the guitar riff there. After that, the energy is nice, and the guitar riffs are quite catchy, but the progression is much slower. The texture is oscillating between the guitar-heavy section and the more synth-based refrain for quite some time, but within that paradigm there’s not much structural variety. At some point, I would’ve liked to see the piece get some more shape and contrast. The section at 3:13 is a good start, and I really liked the solo at 3:35, but the intensity of this piece is near-constant throughout. I feel like you may have needed a more tranquil section to refocus the energy earlier in the piece. Overall, the composition sounds much more dynamic by the end, which is a huge plus. The octave transposition with the synths for the final refrain was also a smart move. It really sold the emotional climax as the piece wrapped up. Overall, this is undeniably strong work. My detail-oriented compositional complaints amount to little in the midst of some strong instrumentation, production quality, and passion. Keep up the good work, Denza91!

9.25/10

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9.25/10

MisledSatellite responds:

Thank you for such a detailed review. And thank you for inviting me to NGUAC 2018.)

[Swerve]

The gritty sitar sample at the beginning complements the punchy beat well. The sub-bass is scrumptious, and the production is both loud and clear. I think the sitar sounds a bit harsh at times. It might need some more careful equalizing. That said, my main complaints here include the lack of harmonic depth and the lack of dynamism in the composition. The minimalism wears on me after a while, and I would’ve liked to see some more phrasing, automation, and other forms of variation. That said, I appreciate the additional layering of synths during the second half of the piece. The strong rhythmic elements, mastering quality, fun sound design, catchiness, and dark mood are all huge pluses, though. Keep at it, Delitescentaria!

7.75/10

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.75/10

DelitescentAria responds:

woo! thanks for coming back for a second year dude :)

it sucks that I probably can't make a track for knock-outs but I sure am proud to have made it there this year! here's to hoping i can make it even further next year :)

cheers mate

[Phantom Shelter ~ Breaking Through the Fear And Solitude]

I like the pensive mood at the beginning. The mix sounds a little thin, though. The energy at :11 is good, but the bass sounded a bit too thin, spidery, and high-pitched. I’d recommend transposing it down an octave and giving it a bit more space to flourish in the equalizer if possible. I think one major thing you should work on is your transitions. A lot of them are quite abrupt, and often come with sudden changes in the instrumentation. Fade-ins and -outs, sweeps and crashes, and drum fills can all help you bridge that gap. There were certain sections of the piece where I thought the balance was a bit off. At :36, for example, I think the hi-hats are really too loud. Compositionally, this piece is quite enjoyable, but I think you could’ve done more to vary the instrumentation and create a richer texture with a little more reverb, wider mixing, and in some cases different instruments. The pace of the piece is also quite fast at times. There are a lot of different structural elements here, but it’s hard to keep track of all the changes on an overarching basis, largely because of the sudden transitions. I also think the piece is too long in general. You certainly have a lot of cool riffs and melodies - 3:29 was probably my favorite - but with this much structural variety the piece loses a lot of cohesion. I was very surprised, for example, when the guitar is introduced for the first time at 3:52. It’s actually a pretty good choice as an addition to the texture, but I also think it’s a questionable decision to introduce such an impactful new instrument ⅔ of the way into a piece, and with a sudden transition nonetheless. By the end of the piece, it’s really hard for me as a listener to stay grounded in any kind of major themes, patterns, or motifs. I think that’s the #1 thing you should work on going forward. That and the thin mix with little bass. Overall, though, this piece certainly has its merits. You clearly have a good sense of melody and harmony, and the instrumentation was rather pleasant throughout. Keep at it, Ctr34!

7.5/10

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.5/10

[Cs - 'Risen']

I like the fade-in at the beginning and the powerful chords. The drums are a bit cliche, and the frantic bass line at :10 takes over the mix a bit too much imo. It just sounded pretty harsh. The production quality is generally quite good here, though. The piece doesn’t have that much melodic content in the texture. Other than the breakdown at :48, it’s mostly just chords and some supporting harmonies. The tempo automation at around 1:20 was a creative idea, but ultimately I don’t think it leads much of anywhere. Your production has improved considerably as I recall, but I wanted to see you flesh out the composition a bit more here. The chord progression is really cool, but I don’t think it should be the main attraction in the texture for so much of the piece. I’d suggest that you try crafting some melodic content that supports the chords, and then integrating some rhythmic content that complements the melodic content. Right now, the drums are well-mastered, yet the pattern usually only falls on the strong beats of the measure and could be more creative. Overall, this is strong work on the production side, but the composition is not quite as rich and dynamic as I’d like to see. Keep at it, Cusukskos!

5/10

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
5/10

Csucskos responds:

Now the tempo change seems a little lame, but it felt very spot on during the making...so... I don't know what happened... Anyways, I agree that the song is lacking something...
OK, I finally should look into melody making, since I haven't really made progress on this front in the past year. (From your last years NGADM review: "...Overall, I’d strongly suggest creating a piece centered around a stronger melody next time. ...")
Thanks for the advice, I'll definitely consider making a move towards more melody centric music... In the near future... Maybe. ;) (I mean I'm not very good at it, so it's hard to make myself even try it.)

P.S.: I don't know how you do it, but even with a 50 % score I feel like I got an A because of the wording. Magical!

[Blue Vibes]

I like the pensive mood at the beginning. The texture is quite well-balanced, and there’s a great sense of climax into :36. The echo-y content on some of the instruments helps smooth over the transition into :54 really well. The emotional content of this one is really nice. You did a great job with the phrasing and dynamics here. The piece comes together really well by the end with the extended refrain. The melodic content here is really strong, and the instrumentation supports the uplifting vibe of the piece really well. Strong work with the production. One of my only complaints is that the ending is a little underwhelming. Doesn’t quite feel conclusive how you laid out the chords at the end, but maybe that’s just me. One thing that isn’t quite a complaint but just something you should watch out for is that there are a lot of transitions in this piece where the mood/texture changes pretty suddenly. You do a nice job of smoothing it over with crashes and ping-pong echo effects, but I could easily anticipate one of those transitions sounding pretty rough if you weren’t so careful. Otherwise, there’s little to complain about here. It’s a gorgeous piece with a ton of awesome melodies and variety. Keep up the good work, ColinMuir!

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9.75/10

[A Promise]

I like the melodic content of the piano at the beginning. The piece has a lot of emotion and shape to it in general. I think the piece kinda throws the listener right into the action without much of a proper intro, though. I also think the instruments, especially the piano, sound pretty inauthentic (or in the piano’s case, at least detuned). That said, I like the bright mood and the sense of climax. You might’ve needed a stronger transition at :40. The drums might’ve helped you do that - I’d imagine a crash would be appropriate. After that point, however, the piece isn’t very structurally dynamic. Sounds like music for some uplifting montage or emotional car commercial. I didn’t notice any particular problems with the mixing and mastering, although it could stand to be louder. Overall, I enjoyed the blissful vibe of the piece and the thematic elements. My main complaints are that you could’ve done a lot more with the second half of the piece, as well as incorporated some stronger structuring/transition elements in general. Keep at it, ChristopherReeves!

7.5/10

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.5/10

[Flight]

I like the cute synths at the beginning and the build-up into :15. The instrumentation is occasionally a bit cheesy, especially the 3xOsc sweeps. That said, the progression is quite satisfying and the mix is loud and pretty clean. The drop at 1:00 was pretty good, although I think that mid-range bass is hijacking the mix a bit too much. You might consider equalizing it a bit more strictly. I also appreciated the more tranquil section at 1:45. It was nice for some structural variety. I’m really enjoying the pulsing pads and floaty arpeggios by around 2:30. Perhaps I would’ve liked to see a bit more variation on the main melody by the end of the piece, but at the very least I like how you brought it around full-circle with those square-sounding stabs. Overall, I’m particularly impressed by the structuring and the thick texture throughout. Great work, ChrisTheGamer!

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9/10

CrisTheGamer responds:

Thank you!
Yeah, now I realize the track needs a melody change or variety at the ending...
And the bass at the drop hijacks the mix, I understand, so EQ would have worked better than loudness. Got memorized!
I'll also try to learn more about musical theory and mixing!